9 hurt in Hwy. 24 accident

An accident along Highway 24 last night (Thursday, Sept. 5) involving two semi tractor trailers left nine people injured.

Per report of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, at approximately 11 p.m., Thursday, Oscar R. Osorio, 51, of Harlingen, Texas, was driving his 1998 International truck pulling a camper “at approximately 45 miles per hour” westbound, about one half mile east of Moberly on US Highway 24, when a 2007 Mack semi tractor trailer driven by Hannibal resident Andrew C. Eitel, 53, at approximately 58 miles per hour, struck the Osorio vehicle’s rear end.

Osorio’s vehicle was driven to a stop, the report notes, while Eitel’s vehicle “traveled off the left side of the roadway, coming to rest in a ditch.”

One moderate injury was sustained in the accident. Forty-one-year-old Cecilia E. Osorio, Harlingen, Texas, was transported to University Medical Center, Columbia, via Randolph County Ambulance.

Oscar Osorio and Eitel (who was wearing his seatbelt) were both transported to Moberly Regional Medical Center via Randolph County Ambulance, suffering from minor injuries.

Alexandra M. Gouna, 35, Harlingen, was transported to MRMC by Chariton County Ambulance with minor injuries.

Cecilia E. Osorio, 41, and Rosalba O. Preciado, 44, Harlingen, were transported by Randolph County Ambulance to University Medical Center, Columbia, both with minor injuries.

Rolando B. Osorio, 16; Ruben J. Osorio, 22; and Julio C. Preciado, 36, all of Harlingen, as well, were transported by Randolph County Ambulance to MRMC, with minor injuries.

Randolph County Sheriff Mark Nichols confirmed to the MMI on Friday morning (Sept. 6) that the Osorio group was “with the [Whirling Bros.] circus” that was to set up in town and have a pair of showings Friday afternoon (4:30 p.m.) and night (7:30 p.m.).

“They had missed the turnoff to the [Randolph County Raceway] track, and they were headed into Moberly to turn around and go back,” Nichols said.

The circus was marketed as taking place on the Randolph County Fairgrounds, but in conversations with the MMI earlier in the week, Moberly Parks Director Troy Bock said that the circus was not setting up in within the Moberly parks system.

David Claypoole, with the Raceway, told the MMI early Thursday afternoon that the circus had contacted him about use of his facilities “a while back,” but that they did not want to pay the price he offered to use the grounds. The group called him back earlier this week, he noted, but the raceway had already booked their facilities for use, so he said he had to turn them down.

As of deadline Friday morning, the Whirling Bros. Circus had yet to return multiple Thursday afternoon and Friday morning telephone calls, clarifying their location for the Friday shows, or whether or not they still planned on having them, in light of the accident.

Nichols noted that traffic had to be detoured around the area on Highway 24 for a couple of hours, as “debris [was] scattered close to a quarter mile” along the roadway.

“[And] there was a tiger there,” Nichols said. “I don’t think it was actually involved in the accident, itself, though.”

The animal was relocated to the Raceway following the accident, Nichols said.

Both vehicles were totalled in the accident. Eitel’s was towed from the scene by Palmatory Towing, Moberly, while the Osorio vehicle was “to be removed by the owner,” per the MSHP.

The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, Randolph County First Responders, Randolph County Ambulance, and Chariton County Ambulance assisted the patrol.